This witty early 20th-century oil painting by British artist Edgar Bundy ARA RI RBA (1862-1922) depicts a young country woman visiting the home of her wealthy relatives, to much dismay. It was shown at the Royal Academy in 1903. Bundy was a distinguished painter of genre scenes and a member of the Royal Society of British Artists.Dressed in attire more suitable for a homely rural village than a fine Georgian townhouse, she saunters in without a care in the world. She’s seemingly oblivious to the elaborately dressed staff who look towards her with intrigue. A cat is sprawled in the foreground, revelling in comfort. It’s a sterling example of Bundy’s vivacity as a colourist and his playful approach towards societal narratives.Born in Brighton, it seems Bundy was predominantly self-taught, aside from some rudimentary instruction as a child from ‘Alfred Stevens’, presumably the artist and sculptor Alfred Stevens (1817-1875). Nonetheless, he began exhibiting at the Royal Academy at ...